Sector content and pathways

Retail: a catalogue that helps customers choose

A useful catalog is not measured by the number of published references. It must make it possible to distinguish the products, to understand the variants and to check the methods of order or withdrawal without manufacturing an availability that the merchant does not control.

These files describe preparation methods. They do not present customer achievements and do not replace the validation of information by the organization concerned.

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Standardize product information

Define fields by family: dimensions, material, compatibility, delivered contents and references. Keep units and identifiers. An unknown characteristic must remain to be verified; It should not be deduced from a photo or copied from another variant. Distinguish vendor data and trade-confirmed information.

Manage variants and availability

Explain the choice of size, color or packaging before adding to the basket. Define what it means available, on order or on hold. If the stock is not synchronized, announce the confirmation procedure. An amount of demonstration should never be presented as a real stock.

Make the comparison relevant

Compare criteria that change a decision: use, dimensions, compatibility or maintenance. Do not repeat the same slogans in all files. The filters must follow the available fields and distinguish between absence of information and absence of a characteristic. Document the necessary accessories without suggesting that they are included.

Test difficult order cases

Check an unavailable variant, a change in quantity, a product removed and a payment interruption as provided by the service provider. The summary should remain consistent with the choices. Distinguish confirmation of request, payment authorization and order accepted according to the actual operation of the service.

Organize the reference cycle

Assign the validation of descriptions, prices and availability. Decide how to process a stopped product: relevant alternative, unavailability information or withdrawal. Keep track of feature changes. Control translations when a variant or unit changes, rather than only translating the title.

Information to gather before writing

Stable identifiers and variants
Units and confirmed characteristics
explicit availability statuses
Order or withdrawal conditions
Photos of the reference presented

For each item, keep the source, the person validating it and the language versions concerned. Missing information must become a question to solve, never a value invented to fill the page.

Frequently asked questions

How many filters to add?

Start with the criteria that visitors use and that the data allows you to enter. An empty or ambiguous filter adds a step without making the choice easier.

Copy the supplier text?

Check its applicability to the reference and add the necessary context to the client. Keep a source and control date.

What to do with a stopped product?

Explain its status and propose an alternative only if it meets the same need. Avoid unrelated redirect.

resources to deepen

Additional reference: W3C Wai: Structure an accessible page. The sectoral recommendations of this sheet are an editorial method; This reference does not certify the information specific to an establishment.

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